Big Israeli Strike Targets Elusive Hamas Figure

Israel went after Hamas' shadowy military commander in a massive strike Saturday in the crowded southern Gaza Strip that killed at least 71 people, according to local health officials. It was not immediately known whether Mohammed Deif was among the dead. An Israeli military official said they were "still checking and verifying the result of the strike," and he did not deny it took place inside an Israeli-designated safe zone. From the AP:

• About him: Deif is believed by many to be the chief architect of the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and triggered the Israel-Hamas war. He has topped Israel's most-wanted list for years and is believed to have escaped multiple Israeli assassination attempts in the past. (Read more about that here.) Deif has been in hiding for more than two decades and is believed to be paralyzed. One of the only known images of him is a 30-year-old ID photo released by Israel. Even in Gaza, only a handful of people would recognize him.

• Hamas response: "These false claims are merely a cover-up for the scale of the horrific massacre," Hamas said in a statement in response to Israel. The potential killing of Deif threatens to derail cease-fire talks and would be seen as a major Israeli victory in the nine-month campaign.
• Casualties: The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 289 others were injured in the attack—one of the war's deadliest—and that many dead and injured were taken to overwhelmed Nasser Hospital nearby. There, Associated Press journalists counted over 40 bodies. Witnesses described an attack that included several strikes.
• Safe zone: Witnesses said the strike landed inside Muwasi, an Israeli-designated safe zone that stretches from northern Rafah to Khan Younis. The coastal strip is where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled to in search of safety, sheltering mostly in sweltering, makeshift tents and with little services.

(More Israel-Hamas war stories.)